Best horror & documentary shows on Netflix, ranked.
Your next watch, decided. Every show ranked by quality — not popularity. No more arguing about what to watch tonight — share a WatchList with your partner.
Sign in to triage shows — WatchList, SkipList, or rank what you've seen. Triaged shows are hidden.
- #995#995Netflix
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
2020 · Movie · 1h 23mDocumentary · Biography
3 EmmysThe story of life on our planet by the man who has seen more of the natural world than any other. In more than 90 years, Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations.
Netflix - #1293#1293Netflix
The Elephant Whisperers
2022 · Movie · Tamil · 41mDocumentary
1 OscarBomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.
Netflix - #1691#1691Netflix
Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed
2014 · Movie · 1hDocumentary · Comedy
Jim Gaffigan bursts back on the scene with this eagerly anticipated fourth comedy special. Dubbed the "King of Clean Comedy" by The Wall Street Journal, Jim's obsession with all things food comes to fruition on "Obsessed" as he ta...
Netflix - #1891#1891
NetflixPrime VideoCreep 2
2017 · Movie · 1h 18mHorror · Thriller
A video artist looking for work drives to a remote house in the forest to meet a man claiming to be a serial killer. But after agreeing to spend the day with him, she soon realizes that she made a deadly mistake.
NetflixPrime Video - #2690#2690
NetflixChef's Table
2015–2024 · Series · 7 seasonsDocumentary · Biography
Chef's Table goes inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned international chefs. Each episode focuses on a single chef and their unique look at their lives, talents and passion from their piece of culinary ...
Netflix - #2790#2790
NetflixCity of Joy
2016 · Movie · 1h 14mDocumentary · Crime · Drama
This film follows the first class of students at a remarkable leadership center in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region often referred to as "the worst place in the world to be a woman." These women have been through...
Netflix - #3988#3988Netflix
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
2015 · Movie · 1h 42mDocumentary · History
A documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
Netflix - #5087#5087Netflix
Camp Confidential: America's Secret Nazis
2021 · Movie · 36mDocumentary · Animation
At the height of WWII, a group of young Jewish refugees are sent to a secret POW camp near Washington, D.C. The recent refugees soon discover that the prisoners are no other than Hitler's top scientists.
Netflix - #5487#5487Netflix
Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story
2022 · Movie · 1h 12mDocumentary
Follows celebrated competitive skating icon Leo Baker as they try to make space for themselves in the gendered world of pro sports and build a more inclusive skate culture, which leads them to doing the punkest thing imaginable.
Netflix - #5587#5587Netflix
Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
The series chronicles the creation of the atomic bomb and the spread of nuclear arms over the following decades. It continues past the dissolution of the Soviet Union to Vladimir Putin's ascent and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Netflix - #7086#7086Netflix
Lenox Hill
2020– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography
An intimate look at the lives of four doctors - two brain surgeons, an emergency room physician, and a Chief Resident OBGYN - as they navigate the highs and lows of working at the renowned Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Netflix - #7985#7985
NetflixThe Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
2020– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Filmmaker Brian Knappenberger investigates the tragic death of an 8-year-old California boy who endured horrific abuse by his mother and her boyfriend, along with the fractured and complex systems that failed to protect him.
Netflix - #8185#8185Netflix
The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo
2025 · Movie · 1h 43mDocumentary · Biography · History
A two-year investigation uncovers a scandal behind the making of one of the most-recognized photographs of the 20th century. Five decades of secrets are unraveled in the search for justice for a man known only as "the stringer."
Netflix - #10284#10284Netflix
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was...
2024 · Movie · 1h 8mDocumentary · Comedy
A stand-up special with Jamie Foxx performing before an Atlanta crowd. Containing songs and anecdotes, the main topic is his time away from the limelight while undergoing a medical emergency in 2023.
Netflix - #10584#10584Netflix
Elena
2013 · Movie · Portuguese · 1h 20mDocumentary · Biography · Drama
Elena, a young Brazilian woman, travels to New York with the same dream as her mother, to become a movie actress. She leaves behind her childhood spent in hiding during the years of the military dictatorship. She also leaves Petra...
Netflix - #11983#11983
NetflixThe Last Days
1998 · Movie · 1h 27mDocumentary · War
1 OscarIn late 1944, even as they faced imminent defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the "cleansing" of Hungary. This Oscar-winning documentary, executive produced by Steven Spielberg,...
Netflix - #13082#13082Netflix
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
2018 · Movie · 1h 55mDocumentary · Biography
This documentary chronicles the life of Polish-American artist Stanislav Szukalski (1893-1987) from his early years in Chicago, to his time in Poland and Los Angeles, and his artistic and political contributions to the world.
Netflix - #13182#13182Netflix
The Deepest Breath
2023 · Movie · 1h 48mDocumentary · Action · Sport
A champion and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another. Despite different paths taken, they meet at the pinnacle of the free-diving world, experiencing the thrilling rewards and inescapable risks of chasing dreams thro...
Netflix - #13882#13882Netflix
Fire in Paradise
2019 · Movie · 39mDocumentary
On 8th November, 2018, a fire broke out in California near the town of Paradise. Over the course of a few hours, the Camp Fire grew into the country's deadliest wildfire in over a century. Through first-hand footage of the disaste...
Netflix - #14282#14282Netflix
Alma Matters: Inside the IIT Dream
2021– · Series · HindiDocumentary
In a "nation of middle-class" the IIT dream involves clearing the world's toughest public exam for guaranteed lifelong success. Life is not an exam though. It's a hustle, one that nobody trains them for. The result? Eternal tumult.
Netflix - #14482#14482Netflix
Headspace Guide to Meditation
2021– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Animation
Over the course of eight animated episodes, Andy Puddicombe—former Buddhist monk and co-founder of the globally beloved Headspace meditation app—takes viewers through the benefits and science behind meditation.
Netflix - #14882#14882Netflix
Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping
2016 · Movie · 1h 5mDocumentary · Comedy
1 EmmyPatton Oswalt takes the stage in San Francisco, where he talks about San Franciscans, the difficulties of being PC, fatherhood, his worst stand up experience, and the worlds most horrific Birthday Clown.
Netflix - #16581#16581Disney+Netflix
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
2010 · Movie · 1h 8mDocumentary · Biography · History
A film that explores the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York as seen through the eyes and actions of Reggie Miller star player of the Indiana Pacers.
Disney+Netflix - #16981#16981Netflix
Dear Santa
2020 · Movie · 1h 24mDocumentary · Family
'Dear Santa' shines a light on the 100-year-old 'Operation Santa' Program of the United States Postal Service. Each year, hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa arrive at Post Offices around the country. Through Operation Santa...
Netflix - #17681#17681
NetflixThe Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
The 2004 Red Sox team broke an 86-year drought, overcame a 3-0 series deficit and won the franchise's first World Series title since 1918. A historic comeback by the team that lifted one of baseball's longest curses.
Netflix - #17780#17780Netflix
If Wishes Could Kill
2026– · Series · Korean · 1 seasonHorror · Thriller
Follows five friends in high school who receive a death warning from a mysterious wish-granting app. As they struggle to escape their fates, they uncover chilling truths that connect the app to the sudden death of a classmate.
Netflix - #18080#18080Netflix
The Gospel According to André
2018 · Movie · 1h 33mDocumentary
This intimate portrait for André Leon Tally, a fixture in the world of fashion, takes viewers on a journey from André’s roots growing up to becoming one of the most influential tastemakers and fashion curators of our times.
Netflix - #18480#18480NetflixPrime Video
The Wrecking Crew
2008 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · History
A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.
NetflixPrime Video - #18880#18880
NetflixMission Blue
2014 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary · Drama
Feature documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries.
Netflix - #19680#19680Netflix
Untold: Malice at the Palace
2021 · Movie · 1h 8mDocumentary · Crime · Sport
A brawl broke out near the end of a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004. Nearly 17 years later, we re-examine that night and all the consequences that came from it.
Netflix - #19880#19880Netflix
The Platform
2019 · Movie · Spanish · 1h 34mHorror · Mystery · Sci-Fi & Fantasy
In a prison where inmates are fed on a descending platform, those on the upper levels take more than their fair share while those below are left to starve on scraps and one man decides to change the system.
Netflix - #20580#20580Netflix
The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52
2021 · Movie · 1h 36mDocumentary · Action
THE LONELIEST WHALE is a cinematic quest to find the “52 Hertz Whale,” which scientists believe has spent its entire life in solitude calling out at a frequency that is different from any other whale. As the film embarks on this engrossing journey, audiences will explore what this whale’s lonely plight can teach us — not just about our changing relationship to the oceans, but to each other. Executive Produced with Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier.
Netflix - #21480#21480Netflix
American Factory
2019 · Movie · 1h 50mDocumentary
1 OscarIn post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class...
Netflix - #21879#21879
NetflixJack Whitehall: Travels with My Father
2017–2021 · Series · 5 seasonsDocumentary · Comedy
Follows Jack Whitehall as he embarks on the trip of a lifetime with his father, Michael. The two set off on a journey across South East Asia to partake in a series of adventures, mishaps and escapades with two very different persp...
Netflix - #23479#23479
NetflixAmerican Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing
2023– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime · History
Follows the tragedy in which terrorists detonated a bomb at the Boston Marathon's finish line; they carried out the attack by placing two homemade pressure-cooker bombs that resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries.
Netflix - #23679#23679Netflix
To Kill a Tiger
2023 · Movie · 2h 8mDocumentary
Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.
Netflix - #23779#23779Netflix
Neal Brennan: Blocks
2022 · Movie · 1h 3mDocumentary · Comedy
Follows Neal Brennan as he talks about the emotional and cultural issues that make him feel like something's wrong with him in a humorous way, from drugs and alcohol, liberalism, to his small chances of finding real love.
Netflix - #24079#24079Netflix
E-Team
2014 · Movie · 1h 28mDocumentary · War
When atrocities are committed in countries held hostage by ruthless dictators, Human Rights Watch sends in the E-Team (Emergencies Team), a collection of fiercely intelligent individuals hired to document war crimes and report the...
Netflix - #24879#24879
NetflixThe Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel
2026 · Movie · 1h 33mDocumentary · History
Gritty, formative years of the Los Angeles band, and the influence of original guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died in 1988. It features interviews with bandmates Flea and Anthony Kiedis who discuss the band's early evolution.
Netflix - #25578#25578Netflix
The Confession Tapes
2017–2019 · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
A critical look into some true crime cases where American law enforcement made up for lack of actual physical evidence by using devious psychological tactics during interrogation in order to extract confessions from naive suspects.
Netflix - #25678#25678Netflix
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018 · Movie · 1h 38mDocumentary · Biography
In the final fifteen years of the life of legendary director Orson Welles, he pins his Hollywood comeback hopes on a film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018), in itself a film about an aging film director trying to finish his last ...
Netflix - #25778#25778
Disney+HuluNetflixPeacockPrime Video60 Days In
2016– · Series · 9 seasonsDocumentary · Crime · Reality
"60 Days In" offers an unprecedented look at life behind bars at Indiana's Clark County Jail. Seven ordinary people volunteer to live among its general population for 60 days, without fellow inmates or staff knowing their secret.
Disney+HuluNetflixPeacockPrime Video - #25878#25878Netflix
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
2025– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
A revealing look at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' journey from music mogul to high-profile sexual offender, featuring footage and insider accounts that expose both his groundbreaking success with Bad Boy Entertainment and the troubling shadows behind his empire.
Netflix - #26278#26278Netflix
American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson
2025– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime · History
Revisits the infamous 1990s murder case and trial that captivated America. With new interviews and insights, it explores the chase, courtroom drama, and cultural impact, offering a fresh look at this pivotal moment in US history.
Netflix - #26678#26678
NetflixHitler: A Career
1977 · Movie · German · 2h 30mDocumentary · History
This meticulously assembled film dissects the Third Reich with an analytical blade, charting Hitler's improbable rise, his mastery of crowd psychology and his consummate skill in exploiting others' weaknesses.
Netflix - #27078#27078
NetflixThe Confession Killer
2019– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Henry Lee Lucas was known as America's most prolific serial killer, admitting to hundreds of murders, but, as DNA results contradict his confessions, will they expose the biggest criminal justice hoax in U.S. history?
Netflix - #27178#27178Netflix
Civil: Ben Crump
2022 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · Biography
Crump's mission to raise the value of Black life as the civil lawyer for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Black farmers and banking while Black victims, Crump challenges America to come to terms with what it owes his clients.
Netflix - #27478#27478Netflix
June 17th, 1994
2010 · Movie · 53mDocumentary · Biography · History
Documents on how the events on the day OJ Simpson was pursued and arrested on charges of murdering his ex wife and her boyfriend overshadowed and took precedence over other sporting events from around the country by the media. No ...
Netflix - #28778#28778Netflix
What the Health
2017 · Movie · 1h 37mDocumentary
An intrepid filmmaker on a journey of discovery as he uncovers possibly the largest health secret of our time and the collusion between industry, government, pharmaceutical and health organizations keeping this information from us.
Netflix - #30377#30377
NetflixPrime VideoSebastian Maniscalco: Aren't You Embarrassed?
2014 · Movie · 1h 3mDocumentary · Comedy
Sebastian Maniscalco returns home to Chicago to perform in front of a live sold-out audience in this all-new comedy event. With his inimitable delivery, he burns modern-day society through the lens of his old-world Italian-America...
NetflixPrime Video - #30577#30577
NetflixCasting JonBenet
2017 · Movie · 1h 20mDocumentary · Crime · Drama
In the months following the unsolved murder of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, responses were elicited from her Colorado hometown community, creating a work of art from the collective memories and mythologies the crime in...
Netflix - #30777#30777Netflix
Ancient Apocalypse
2022–2024 · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary · History
What if everything we know about prehistory is wrong? Journalist Graham Hancock visits archaeological sites around the world investigating if a civilization far more advanced than we ever believed possible existed thousands of yea...
Netflix - #31477#31477Disney+Netflix
This Magic Moment
2016 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · Biography · History
In the mid-1990s, Orlando was the center of excitement in the NBA. The young franchise, led by mega-stars Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, beat the mighty Bulls en route to the 1995 NBA Finals. While it was clear Orlando was a...
Disney+Netflix - #31877#31877NetflixPrime Video
Theodore Roosevelt
2022– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography · History
Two-part series on U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt looking at his work as a progressive reformer as well as his contradictions such as being a passionate conservationist who also hunted animals.
NetflixPrime Video - #32877#32877Netflix
Selena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy
2025 · Movie · 1h 57mDocumentary · Biography · Family
Selena Quintanilla's journey from performing at local events to becoming the "Queen of Tejano Music" with her family band Selena y Los Dinos, culminating in sold-out stadium tours, is chronicled through personal archive footage.
Netflix - #33677#33677Netflix
My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy
2022 · Movie · 44mDocumentary
David Letterman visits war torn Kyiv, Ukraine to meet with, and interview, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the impact of the war with Russia on its people, economy, and relations with the Western world. Letterman provides some...
Netflix - #34776#34776Netflix
Island of the Sea Wolves
2022– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Action
Where the Pacific meets the wilderness of Canada lies a mysterious island. But peer a little deeper and we find something even more remarkable: a community full of charismatic animal residents, waiting to show you around.
Netflix - #35476#35476Netflix
Worst Ex Ever
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Shocking tales of betrayal, violence, and deceit through testimonials, bodycam footage, and reenactments. Exposes the disturbing realities of monstrous past relationships, tapping into the universal fear of not truly knowing one's...
Netflix - #35676#35676Netflix
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion
2007 · Movie · 1h 30mDocumentary · Comedy
A master of the one-liner with an absurd rambling style, Zach's sharp, resonating humor makes his show at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco one of the funniest performances in recent comedy.
Netflix - #35976#35976Netflix
Chef's Table: BBQ
2020– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
The critically-acclaimed series returns for its latest iteration, delving into the smoky, juicy world of barbecue. Featured chefs and pitmasters include Tootsie Tomantez, Lennox Hastie, Rodney Scott, and Rosalia Chay Chuc.
Netflix - #36076#36076Netflix
Found
2021 · Movie · 1h 37mDocumentary · Drama
The story of three American teenage girls-each adopted from China-who discover they are blood-related cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions they have about their lost h...
Netflix - #36176#36176Netflix
Unknown: Cave of Bones
2023 · Movie · 1h 33mDocumentary
Follows Paleo anthropologist Lee Berger in South Africa, as he and his team try to prove that the world's oldest graveyard they found, is not human. A small brained, ape-like creature could have practiced complex burial rituals.
Netflix - #36376#36376Netflix
Pangolin: Kulu's Journey
2025 · Movie · 1h 28mDocumentary
A man discovers purpose helping rescue a trafficked baby pangolin in South Africa. He dedicates himself to rehabilitating the endangered animal for release into the wild, in this film from My Octopus Teacher's director.
Netflix - #36476#36476Netflix
Pony Excess
2010 · Movie · 1h 42mDocumentary · Biography · History
SMU puts together the best football team in America during the early 1980s with the help of bribes and payoffs, until the NCAA gives the team the "Death Penalty"--a sanction from which the team has yet to competitively recover.
Netflix - #37476#37476
NetflixThe Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
2017 · Movie · 1h 45mDocumentary · Biography
Victoria Cruz investigates the mysterious 1992 death of black gay rights activist and Stonewall veteran, Marsha P. Johnson. Using archival interviews with Johnson, and new interviews with Johnson's family, friends and fellow activ...
Netflix - #38576#38576Netflix
Circus of Books
2019 · Movie · 1h 32mDocumentary · Biography · History
In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. What wa...
Netflix - #38676#38676Netflix
28 Years Later
2025 · Movie · 1h 55mHorror · Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Thriller
A group of survivors of the rage virus live on a small island. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other su...
Netflix - #38876#38876
NetflixJeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
2020– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Survivors reveal the manipulation, abuse and emotional scars suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Their stories expose a sex trafficking ring of powerful enablers leading up to his 2019 arrest.
Netflix





























































































